Motek Mediterranean Bistro to Open at Brickell City Centre
With plans to create its largest restaurant yet, Miami’s well-known Mediterranean bistro Motek has relocated to Brickell City Centre.
According to Commercial Observer, the restaurant will replace Est. 33 on the third floor of the Brickell outdoor mall. The lease, which was signed in May, includes both indoor and outdoor seats and covers around 10,000 square feet in total.
The Motek site in Brickell is the company’s sixth outpost; which was established in 2020 by Charlie and Tessa Levy. In the Seybold Building in Downtown Miami, close to the area where the Levys once operated a diamond store, the first restaurant opened.
At the Aventura Mall earlier this year, Motek expanded from a 3,000 square foot outlet to a 7,000 square foot corner location that was formerly occupied by Michael Mina’s Greek restaurant Estiatorio Ornos and opened a food counter called Yalla. In April, a branch opened in Coral Gables.
Two more are expected in North Miami’s SoLé Mia development and Miami Beach.
Swire Properties finished construction of Brickell City Centre in 2016, a 2.5 million square foot mixed-use building. Casa Tua, Pubbelly Sushi, Marabu, Tacology, and the recently opened The Henry are among the cuisine tenants in the shopping area, which is anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue.
Shaquille O’Neal to Open First-Ever Big Chicken Restaurant in Miami Florida
Shaquille O’Neal, NBA Hall of Famer, partial owner to restaurant chain Big Chicken, and has recently signed a lease for its first South Florida site.
The new facility is a part of a deal for DMD Chicken, a division of Davie-based commercial hospitality development firm DMD Ventures, to open 45 units throughout Central and South Florida.
According to Fred Burgess, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of DMD Venture,“From the moment we came across Big Chicken, we knew it was a concept worth investing in. We’re thrilled with the progress that we’ve made in opening our first South Florida location in Doral. Doral Place 87 is a bustling shopping center and prime location for the new restaurant.”
The DMD Chicken leadership group also includes co-CEO Jack Flechner and COO Kurt Petterle in addition to Burgess. Together, they manage franchise locations for numerous companies, such as Candlewood Suites, Papa John’s, and Twin Peaks.
Along with Burgess, the co-CEO Jack Flechner and COO Kurt Petterle make up the DMD Chicken executive group. Each of them is in charge of a franchise location for a different company, such as Twin Peaks, Papa John’s, or Candlewood Suites.
Currently, Big Chicken has eateries in Houston, Seattle, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and a number of sports arenas, in addition to three Carnival cruise ships.
The original KFC restaurant The Big Chicken is located in Marietta, Georgia. It was erected in 1963, damaged by a storm in 1993, and restored again in 2017. In 2017, it underwent a $2 million rehabilitation project.
Before the end of the year, the fast-casual chicken chain is expected to operate at 5635 NW 87th Avenue in the Doral Place 87 shopping area.
Vivo! Entertainment at Sweetwater Mall to Open Summer 2023
Thanks to a sizable new entertainment complex that combines popular national hotspots and a little bit of hometown Cuban flair, Miami’s Dolphin Mall is getting a little makeover.
Vivo! Dolphin Mall, a 62,000-square-foot dining and entertainment area, is slated to debut this summer at the Sweetwater Mall, which already contains a movie theater and a bowling alley. It is the creation of Live! Hospitality and Entertainment.
The new venues will make use of a vacant structure and be situated next to the Cheesecake Factory and the parking lot at the entrance to the mall.
Vivo! will feature Sports & Social, a restaurant, bar, and sports viewing venue with three bars, live music, and other entertainment. On game days, a 50-foot LED screen with fan live cameras, competitions, and music and lighting effects can display many games and matches while also having arcade games, foosball tables, and other amenities.
James Beard candidate Chef John Suley, who will handle lunch, dinner, and brunch options, will curate the cuisine. Consider beef barbacoa tacos, cacio e pepe arancini, crispy kataifi-wrapped shrimp, and truffle mushroom flatbread. A sandwich with Nashville spicy chicken will also be available.
PBR Cowboy Bar is located right next to the enormous sports bar concept and may be unfamiliar to Sweetwater. The lack of cowboy and country music-focused bars in Miami, according to Judy Moore, senior vice president of Live! Hospitality is what makes the location ideal. The entertainment ranges from mechanical bull riding to VIP bottle service.
The Blue Moon Garden Bar and a Miller Light Bar will serve beverages, and Miami classics like croquetas and pan con lechon will be available from neighborhood star Sergio’s Cuban American Kitchen. There will also be a variety of food trucks at the plaza, according to Moore.
Vivo! Dolphin Mall is located at 11401 NW 12th Street in Miami and will open this summer.
Award-Winning Chef Tom Aviv Opens First United States Restaurant in Miami-Branja
Branja, the first restaurant opened by award-winning chef and restaurateur Tom Aviv in the United States, has officially opened its doors. Located in Miami’s Upper Buena Vista and Banja serves food inspired by Aviv’s Israeli heritage in a retro, industrial environment.
Branja is a classic restaurant with 3,000 square feet of area that is divided between a sizable outside terrace and a cozy interior. Each night, the 12-seat Chef’s Table serves two omakase-style seatings for guests with a side of retro Miami. The Chef’s Table is housed in the famous bar from the Lenny Kravitz-designed Florida Room of the Delano Hotel.
The covered outdoor terrace features a bright stained-glass ceiling, terrazzo-topped tables, repurposed synagogue benches, a sizable artwork by Tel Aviv-based artist Paul Curran, while diners use silverware and pastel porcelain plates from the 1970’s.
With a strong focus on Israeli food and recipes, Branja’s menu draws inspiration from all over the world. Customers will find inventive interpretations on traditional dishes like the Falafish, a blend of juice fish and falafel, and Fishwarma, which is cooked with a spiced fish mixture that resembles traditional shawarma.
Other meals include the Tuktuk Kebab, made with Thai ingredients like tamarind glaze, and Krouv. On the sweeter side of the menu, Branja serves Halva Crack Pie made with tahini and Layali Beirout, a contemporary version of a Lebanese classic. Drinks like the vibrant Purple Rain, an allusion to the traditional Margarita created with tequila infused with za’atar and butterfly pea and garnished with salt and dry za’atar, complete the meal.
Despite having no official culinary training, Aviv, who was born and raised in Tel Aviv, won MasterChef Israel in 2016 and quickly rose to fame. He has opened a number of eateries in Israel and Morocco since winning.
Located at 5010 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami, Branja is open for dinner Tuesday – Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Meet Miami’s Newest Mediterranean-Basque Restaurant Now Open in Brickell- Zeru
The Mediterranean-Basque cuisine that has made Zeru famous in Mexico City has now open its first overseas location in Miami’s Brickell.
Zeru is located on the bottom floor of the Hotel AKA Brickell, and the location allows guests up to a 200-seat indoor/outdoor capacity with a modern design and a 20-seat bar.
Founder of Zeru, Israel Aretxiga states, “We will maintain Zeru’s essence and its signature interpretation of Basque and Mediterranean food, but we’ll also welcome the excellent ingredients and products that Miami has to offer and, in some ways, adapt to the local gastronomic culture.”
According to Aretxiga, Zeru’s cuisine is based on the century-old roasters in the Basque Country of Getaria, Orio, and San Sebastián, a method he describes as “as ancestral as the origin of gastronomy, with inspiration from the variety of foodstuffs from the Mediterranean coast of Spain.”
Seafood, as well as healthier and lighter options, will be extensively emphasized on Zeru’s menu. Highlights include the mojo octopus, grilled fresh clams with grilled lemon and espelette miso, and socarrat mellow rice saffron with seafood.
In 2009, The Zeru Group opened its first eatery in México City’s southern region. Since then, Gentleman Mexico magazine has given the restaurant an award for creativity in food.
Zeru is open daily from 12:30pm to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm.
Michelin Names 8 New Miami Restaurants to The Florida Michelin Guide
Eight new Miami additions to the Florida Michelin Guide were unveiled by Michelin. The Michelin Guide classified the businesses as “New,” encouraging diners to try new and exciting restaurants in Miami.
The yearly Michelin announcement of Bib Gourmands and stars has yet to be released and Michelin occasionally “teases” its annual guides by presenting brief lists in prominent cities.
The announcement was explained in a statement by Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guides, “We improve our digital tools to further strengthen the bonds that unite us to food lovers. By revealing some of the new additions made by our inspectors throughout the year.”
According to the press release, any of the 8 restaurants on the list may be awarded a Bib Gourmand or star during the annual star ceremony.
It mostly indicates that the Michelin team of inspectors is actively looking for restaurants in Miami to include in the 2023 Florida Michelin Guide. A restaurant also needs to merit its inclusion in the annual guide. Ten restaurants in Miami received one star when the Florida Guide was published in June 2022, giving them a total of 65 spots. The only establishment to be awarded two stars was L’Atelier de Jol Robuchon. The coveted three-star rating only goes to a select few great restaurants like the French Laundry, Alinea, and Eleven Madison Park. No Miami eateries have ever received this honor.
No location or date for the 2023 Michelin Florida Star Reveal Ceremony has been determined. The ceremony was previously Orlando in June 2022.
Michelin Guide Florida: New Miami Additions, February 2023
Brasserie Laurel- French-inspired cuisine inside downtown Miami’s new Miami Worldcenter.
Rosie’s- Brunch garden in Little River with Akino West as Chef.Fiola Miami- Coral Gables Italian restaurant by Michelin-starred, Fiola D.C.
Walrus Rodeo- Wood-fire cooking by the Boia De team.Lido- Surf Club with a champagne bar and delectable Italian food.
Lion & the Rambler- Chef Michael Bolen makes a classic spin on American cuisine.
Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt- Modern/classic French and Asian inspired dishes.
The Gibson Room- American fare with modern inspired cocktails.
Rooftop Restaurant Giselle to Open Friday February 3rd
On Friday, February 3, the glitzy new restaurant Giselle will open on the rooftop of the illustrious nightclub E11EVEN Miami. Giselle is brought to you by E11EVEN and hospitality group The Restaurant People, where executive chef Gustavo Zuluaga will weave together global flavors in dishes like whole crispy snapper with aji amarillo aioli and Peruvian salsa criolla.
Giselle’s menu is extravagant, with items such as bluefin tuna truffle cones topped with 24-karat gold leaf. Truffle toast, flaming lobster thermidor, Peking chicken, Japanese A5 snow-aged wagyu, a flaming Australian wagyu tomahawk, caviar, seafood towers, oysters with Champagne mignonette granita, and other extravagant offerings are available.
Truffle toast, pork ribs, Chilean sea bass, filet mignon, and a flaming lobster thermidor are among the dishes on the menu. For those who can’t decide, a six-course tasting menu is available.
The cuisine incorporates French, Asian, South American, and Mediterranean flavors. This makes sense given his background, which includes stops at L’Atelier de Jol Robuchon in Miami, Zuma, Komodo, and Juvia before becoming executive chef at Laurent Tourondel’s Dune in Fort Lauderdale.
Guests enter the restaurant by taking a private elevator up to the rooftop restaurant, where they will walk through the mosaic-lined tunnel into the space, which features a retractable roof that spans the entire indoor-outdoor restaurant.
Giselle’s marble-adorned 14-seat bar features digital art display cases showcasing the work of Miami-based filmmaker and producer Frank Kelly, who was commissioned to create a custom short film series for the space. The adjacent lounge and terrace area features black marble dining tables with views of the Miami skyline, while a neon sign that reads “I’ll be here, if by chance, you’ll be here too” rules the space.
Giselle is located at 15 NE 11th St, Miami, FL 33132 with hours at Wednesday through Sunday 6pm to 3am.
Japanese Restaurant, Makoto in Miami Beach Named Top 100 Restaurants in the Country
Makoto, a modern, upscale Japanese restaurant in Bal Harbour Shops, was the only restaurant from Miami-Dade County to make OpenTable’s annual Top 100 Restaurants list. Makoto Okuwa, the restaurant’s chef and partner, leads the restaurant, which opened in 2011, and serves sushi and robata dishes that is cuisine cooked on a fire grill.
Makoto relocated to the third floor of the luxury outdoor mall earlier this year and was updated by international designer India Mahdavi. The space now has indoor and outdoor seating for 244 people, as well as a new terrace and sushi counter. The restaurant’s ownership group’s Stephen Starr responded to the news by praising the Makoto staff.
According to Starr, “The team at Makoto has demonstrated excellence in hospitality from the beginning, and it’s great to have those efforts recognized by our patrons. To be named as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country is an exciting honor and a reflection of our incredible, dedicated staff members.”
With ten restaurants each, Florida and Nevada tied. Fort Lauderdale had two favorites on the list, Louie Bossi Ristorante and Takato, while Tampa had three. To compile the list, OpenTable analyzed more than 13 million verified reviews from 47 cities in 21 states. Only those who book through OpenTable and dine there can leave reviews.
MAKOTO is located at Bal Harbour Shops at 9700 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach.
Michelin Star and Miami Born Chef Officially Opens Brasserie Laurel at Miami Worldcenter
In the recently constructed Miami Worldcenter Caoba apartment tower in Downtown Miami, chef and restaurateur Michael Beltran has officially opened Brasserie Laurel, a French-focused eatery.
Escargot, frog legs, foie gras, deer tartare, beef Wellington, chicory salad, turbot in tomato beurre blanc, and Maine lobster with veal sweetbreads are just a few of the French classics on the menu at Laurel, which was devised by executive chef Ashley Moncada, a former chef de cuisine at Ariete.
Ashley Moncada, the new chef employed by Beltran at the establishment, trained at Ariete during the pandemic that has been going on for the past two years. Her first substantial project is this eatery.
“We see Laurel as Ariete’s younger sister. It’s a new approach to French brasserie food. Think Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, La Tour d’Argent in Paris,” states Chef Beltran.
Tom Lasher-Walker, the restaurant’s beverage director, provides modernized versions of classic cocktails such the Beneath the Sheets, which is created with aged rum and pineapple, and the Corpse Reviver Royal, a late 19th-century concoction made with gin, bubbles, and absinthe. Speaking of absinthe, there is a fountain behind the bar at Laurel where it is readily available. A sizable selection of champagnes and wines in the French and Old World styles completes the menu.
The restaurant’s interior, which is housed inside the flashy Miami Worldcenter, maintains the French concept throughout with its use of deep blue, gold, and dark wood. Two additional Ariete Hospitality eateries, Chug’s Express and El Vecino, will also make their Miami Worldcenter debuts in the upcoming months next to Laurel.
Favorites from Chug’s Diner including croquetas, pastelitos, and coffee will be available at the Chug’s Express “ventanita.” El Vecino, on the other hand, will be an upscale cigar bar that offers a full alcohol menu along with light meals including mussels, a variety of meat and cheese, a greek burger, foie torchon, and a variety of snacks.
The Scapegoat in Miami Beach, the Taurus in Coconut Grove, Ariete, Nave, Chug’s, and most recently, the Gibson Room on Coral Way make up the Ariete Hospitality Group’s fast-expanding restaurant portfolio.
Downtown Miami’s Brasserie Laural can be found at 698 NE 1st Avenue. They are open from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday.
